For meditation, [we have to all the time come] (we have to come all the time?) to a quiet stop in ourselves, a quiet settling in [oneself] (ourselves?) and every moment is an opportunity. And even when one is working, there is an opportunity to be with oneself through work, through one’s activity. [And] to help you to do that in your moments of activity take a moment and take to the breathing – it can be useful anytime and everytime. This will remind you, remember you to be in meditation even in your moments of activity. It will centre you, bring you to a greater awareness of what you are doing and how you are doing it.

For this, we have been using two kinds of breathing, vigorous breathing and the rhythmic breathing. Now, there is a relation between the pranic energy in its physical manifestation as breath and the energy that is dormant in each centre, so through working with the breath the activation of the centres can happen, for which there is a special way of breathing where you breathe into and out of each centre. And in reverse, wherein your breathing moves from and to the centres inside, rather than from and to the outside.

You have to consciously be present when you do that. Breathing in this way changes the usual working pattern of the mind by breaking the pattern of the normal way of breathing. At first when you breathe in, you are breathing-in the breath from the outside into the centre. And when you breathe out, when you are emptying out, it is as if from the centre you are breathing out, whichever centre you are at that moment working with. While in reverse when you breathe in and out, it is as if it is coming from and to the centre inside – rather than from and to the outside. Say for example, you are working with the first centre: it is as if the breath is being drawn from and to that centre, rather than from the outside. That can activate, awaken and draw up the dormant Force that is abiding there.

Each centre is a unique centre of energy – and yet they are all integrated, fused, complete and whole. Each centre has its own unique property and at the same time together all the centres form a complete, integrated and [a] whole Reality – Being.  Each centre is a world in itself; and yet connected with the rest, fused with the rest, integrated with the rest – whole and complete with the rest.

So again and again to arrive at a quiet stop in yourself – even to take to prayer seeking for Grace. Seek from your heart, make it come alive. Each breath you take, offer it in prayer. To be in prayer is to be intimate with God, your very Self, the all-comprehensive Reality. Feel for the presence of God through prayer. Let the heart weep; the weeping will centre you. In those moments remember God. Open yourself to feeling the Presence.

Take recourse to the breathing: it will always help, it will settle your mind, stabilise – it will organise your consciousness, awaken you to yourself and the Reality.

(After a very long pause)

For a complete transformation you have to be a seeker every moment. From a ‘meditation tourist’ you have to become a sadhak, a seeker – a regular seeker.

So remember your breathing and through your breathing remember God – and you remember through your heart. God is the complete Reality that you have to find – and it is through yourself that it has to be done.

Arya Vihar

5 Oct 2000